90 THE PIGEON BOOK 



Pigeon Fancy flourishes there always will be followers of 

 this very beautiful variety. 



It is believed that the Runt and the Pouter have much 

 in common so far as ancestry is concerned. Fulton thinks 

 the Dutch Cropper had most to do with it. 



The principal points of the Pouter are the crop, the 

 limbs, and the girth. 



The head, eye, and beak of the Pouter are minor pro- 

 perties compared with the limbs. 



Good markings and colour add to the beauty of the 

 bird, but I do not think there is any pigeon so taking in 

 appearance as a fine upstanding Pouter with straight, 

 well-feathered, good limbs, correctly feathered. 



A slender waist with good crop in front, nicely marked, 

 makes up one of the most attractive birds in the Fancy. 



Not only must the Pouter fancier devote much time to 

 breeding this variety, but no bird requires more training 

 to show itself. 



The great difficulty in Pouters is to get them large 

 enough, but with all the true Pouter properties. 



Once you get them large enough the next difficulty is 

 blending the colours and getting the crop nicely and 

 evenly marked. The favourite colours are yellow, red, 

 blue, black, in pieds, and self whites. 



When shown, the birds are penned with a block in the 

 pen to stand on, and on approach of the visitor will 

 " blow " and play up in a very pretty manner. 



To those living in the country wishing for a beautiful 

 breed of pigeons that always seem in a happy, vivacious 

 mood, the Pouter should appeal. 



The Norwich Cropper. 



The Norwich Cropper is a smaller pigeon than the 

 Pouter. Moore thinks that a cross of the Horseman 



